Attachment for store-counters or the like.



No. 808,540. PATENTED 1130., 26, 1906,.

P. s. GRINDLE.

ATTACHMENT FOR STORE COUNTERS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED muse. 190s.

WITNESSES: 4 J5 INVEMOR Q J rz'rzdie UNITED STATES PERRY S'ROUFE GRINDLE, OF BROOKLYN, ALABAMA ATTACHIVIENT FOR STORE-COUNTERS OR THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed May 20, 1905. Serial No. 261.348.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PERRY SROUFE GRIN- DLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Conecuh and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Store-Counters or the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to attachments for store-counters or the like; and it consists substantially in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a structure adapted to be rotatably mounted beneath a counter, shelf, or other support within a store or other place whereby a barrel or box containing a commodityas sugar, flour, coffee, or the like may be conveniently stowed away beneath the counteror other support at such times as access thereto may not be desired and which may be readily swung outwardly in convenient position whenever access thereto is desired either to supply customers with some of the contents thereof or for any other purpose.

A further object is to provide a rotatable structure for the purpose named which is comparatively simple in its embodiment and cheap to manufacture or canstruct, besides being thoroughly effective and reliable in use and possessing the capacity for long and repeated service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantially such as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate'corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a store counter, shelf, or other support having my improvements embodied in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the construction and organization of the parts of my improvements on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view in detail of certain parts.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated that in the form of my improvements herein shown I provide a specially constructed rotatable member adapted to be mounted beneath a store counter, shelf, or other support therefor, special means being employed in connection with said member for engaging the upper edge of a barrel or other receptacle for a commodity carried by the said member in its movements. Further special means are employed for supporting at any desired height of the rotatable member the barrel, box, or other receptacle for a commodity, and while I have herein represented my improvements in a certain preferred embodiment it will be understood, of course, that I am not limited thereto in precise detail, since immaterial changes therein may be made coming within the scope of my invention.

Reference being had to the drawings by the designating characters thereon, 1 represents the front of an ordinary store-counter, and 2 the top thereof, the inner or rear side of the counter being open, as is usual, so as to enable boxes, barrels, or the like to be stored beneath the counter and readily removed whenever desired. Secured to the flooring 3 on which the counter is mounted is a metal plate 4, having therein a conical cavity 5, in which is rotatably received a conical journal 6, formed or provided at the lower end of a rotatable upright member 7, the upper circular portion 8 of which works in a ring-shaped guide 9 therefor having a threaded shank 10 screwing through an opening therefor in an upright support 11 and secured in place by means of nuts 12 and 13. (See Fig. 2.) The said rotatable upright member 7 may be of any desired configuration in cross-section; but for the greater part of its height or length I prefer to construct the same rectangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, thus providing at the point of intersection of the said rectangular portion thereof with the said upper circular portion an annular shoulder 14, upon which rests the hereinb efore-mentioned ring-shaped eye 9, this particular relation between the parts referred to resulting in a stable and effective structure. One of'the faces of the said rotatable upright member 7 is provided with a series of step-like projections 15, eX- tending one above the other, as shown, to a suitable height of the member, and embracing the member is a loop 16 of the shank 17 of a laterally-projecting shoe 18, upon which is supported or held in position at the bottom thereof the barrel, boX, orother receptacle 19. (Indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.) The said loop 16 is practically rectangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to closely fit and have slidable relation with the rectangular portion of the said rotatable upright member 7, while the shank 15 comprises vertical parallel members, (seen in Fig. 1,) terminating at right angles or horizontally to form the said mentioned laterally-projecting shoe 18. The loop, the shank, and the shoe referred to are integral with each other, as shown, and may be constructed of any stout or stiff material having suflicient strength for the intended purposes thereof.

The parallel members of which the shank 15 is constituted lie closely adjacent to the outer sides of the rectangular portion of the rotatable upright member 7, and at 20 they are connected by means of a bar 21, designed to rest upon the upper surface of one or the other of the steps 15, according to the height or position to which the shoe may be adjusted on the said rotatable upright member 7.

Fitted to the upper circular portion 8 of the rotatable upright member 7 by means of a central eye or loop 22, formed therewith, is a holder or retaining device 23 for the upper edge of the barrel 19 or other receptacle, said device comprising two arms 24, leading from the eye 22 in opposite directions and being somewhat curved, as shown, in conformity with the curved form of the upper edge of the chime of the barrel, said arms being bent at their extremities to form clamps 25 for taking hold upon the said upper edge of the chime of the barrel, and thus hold the latter firmly in position on its seat upon the beforementioned laterally-projecting shoe 18, form- .ing a part of the described vertically-adjust able device on the rectangular portion of the said rotatable upright member 7.

From the foregoing it will be seen that whenever the barrel, box, or other receptacle is not to remain outwardly for access thereto the same may be swung inwardly beneath the counter or other support, and thereby by carried entirely out of the way of the storekeeper or other operator. To enable the barrel to be readily swung outwardly when desired, a suitable piece of rope or twine may be secured thereto; but preferably I have -shown the same as provided with an ordinary grip or handle 26, (dotted lines, Fig.1.)

To adjust the shoe vertically upon the rectangular portion of the rotatable upright member 7, it is simply necessary to tilt the same upwardly at its outer curved end, so as to carry the connecting-bar 21 away from its seat upon a particular step 15, on which it may be resting at the time, and then the entire vertically-movable device (including the loop 16, shank 17, and shoe 18) maybe raised or lowered to the desired position, whereupon the shoe is again carried downwardly to cause the bar 20 to become engaged or seated upon another one of the said steps 1 5, the loop 16 and the shank 17 being restored to their first positions at the same time.

From the foregoing it is thought the construction and operation of the parts of my improved attachment will be thoroughly understood without further detailed description, and also that the many advantages to be derived from the use thereof will be apparent.

The barrel or other receptacle will be held in position upon the laterally-projecting shoe 18 by means of the retaining device 23; but to prevent tilting of the barrel, as well as to provide a more positive support therefor, I sometimes employ a platform 27, on which the bottom of the barrel rests and which in the present instance is secured in position by means of a transverse block 28 on the under side thereof, fitting closely in the space between the parallel side portions 29 of the shoe. (See Fig. 4.) As a further security against tilting of the barrel the upper surface of said platform may have formed therein near the edge an annular depression or recess 30, in which the edge of the lower chime of the barrel is received.

Having thus described my invention, I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An attachment for storecounters com prising a rotatable upright member provided with a laterally-projecting shoe carrying a platform, said shoe embodying parallel side portions, and the platform having on its under side a bloclcfitting between said portions.

2. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable upright member having thereon a plurality of step-like projections, and a loop embracing said member, having a shank embodying parallel vertical members, terminating in a laterally-projecting shoe, constructed of parallel portions, and a rod connecting these portions to engage one of said projections.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERRY SROUFE GRINDLE.

Witnesses:

E. N. AMos, J. A. SERGIN. 

